


Lady in Red

by A_Resistor



Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-13 14:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Resistor/pseuds/A_Resistor
Summary: The friendship that she shared with him was an odd one indeed, though sharing an adventure with a rogue such as Zidane helped broaden her own horizons.





	1. A Competition

“I’ll take an add-on.”

More specifically, a coral ring. Lightning spells always dealt a powerful blow to her, the chain vest beneath her coat did not exactly give her any insulation to them. In the previous years, she would have settled with a hefty amount of gil. Though coin was quickly losing its appeal, being difficult to carry a large amount of it on her own. At any one time. Her pouches were simply not large enough.

_Covering a weakness in one’s strategy is always beneficial. 12 minutes…_

The city of Lindblum had meticulously prepared for the Festival of the Hunt. Citizens who weren’t participating made sure to lock themselves in their homes, lest the beasts tear them to shreds. It wasn’t unheard of for injuries to occur, sometimes even deaths. Truly depressing thoughts. Freya shook them off. She had enough worrying thoughts to keep her company as it was. Regardless, 12 minutes was a short amount of time for such a prestigious festival to last. Though, as she knew from experience, plenty of things could happen in the space of 12 minutes. Meeting an old friend in a seedy pub, _or having your love leave you._

He had been the reason that she returned to Lindblum each year, the blind hope that one day he may turn his attention to the festival, and compete for the title of honour alongside her. She was the champion, five years running. A faithful Dragon Knight of Burmecia, and Master Hunter. Many a beast had fallen to her lance, its pointed tip pierced their hide effortlessly; Dragon Knights were renowned for their aerial techniques, how they soared like their namesake. Though, her ultimate prey eluded her; the Grand Dragons.

Such beasts were rarely a threat to Burmecia, as they loomed above Gizamaluke’s Grotto, only occasionally swooping upon the city. The sagely master allowed their presence, possibly due to their similarity. That, and the dragons would have posed a challenge to the old water drake. Many Dragon Knights had been dispatched to the mountains, only to never return. The beasts prefered to paralyze their prey, allowing their venom to give their victim a slow, agonizing death. Occasionally, they’d show their catch a twisted sense of mercy, and simply vaporize them with an overbearing thundara.

The Burmecian let out a sigh, blowing a lock of hair from her eyes and adjusting her hat. She tuned back into the conversation at hand. “WHAT!? I never signed up!” the small black mage shouted in concern.

“I thought you would do pretty well, so I signed you up. Don’t worry, with your black magic it’ll be a piece of cake.” The monkey attempted to placate the boy.

“I… I don’t know…” The child looked to his feet pensively.

Deciding to interrupt, Freya spoke up. “That was very inconsiderate of you, Zidane.”

The perpetrator in question gasped aloud, and leaned in to whisper something to Vivi. In a naive fashion, the innocent boy shouted Zidane’s secret aloud. “Me and the princess!?”

Above her, the defensive and burly man raised his voice. “What was that!? You just mentioned the princess.” The knight proceeded the run down the stairs in his loud, clanky armour. “What evil deeds are you plotting now!?”

The rogue hid behind the smaller boy, attempting to shield himself from the battering ram that was Steiner. “It’s nothing, right, Vivi?

The mage in question piped up awkwardly. “Y-yeah.” With that situation defused, he chose his reward; a tetra master card.

The Lindblum Elite Guard recited their choices. “Okay. Gil, an add-on, and… a card. The festival will begin shortly. You all have different starting points. Hunter Zidane will start in the Theatre District, Hunter Freya will start in the Industrial District, and Hunter Vivi will start in the Business District.”

After the announcement, Freya set off at a brisk pace, eager to begin the esteemed hunt. She was interrupted by an uncouth elbow to her side. “Yo, Freya. You goin’ after that zaghnol?” Her imbecile of a friend asked.

She let out a second, more indignant sigh. “Obviously. It’s worth far more points than the other prey.”

Tribal strolled past her, flashing his usual cocky grin. He hadn’t changed. “Not if I get to it first!” Twiddling his two daggers, his stride devolved into a prideful stroll. Headstrong and self-centred as always. _Though he jests, I can only assume he’s become more capable. I can’t afford to underestimate him._

She adopted a stroll of her own, though hers was far more restrained. It had an aura of grace and poise to it. Like she exuded authority. “I take it back. You haven’t changed _at all_ , Tribal. If anything, you’ve become even more of a brat.” She called ahead.

Without flinching, he turned around and called back. “Maybe _you_ should just lighten up. Sit down and relax, pull your head out your butt, I don’t know.” His tone implied he was joking, but the last comment elicited a raised eyebrow from her.

He stopped walking, and waited for his friend to catch up. “But seriously, good luck. You’re gonna need it!” He cheered, holding his hand out. She took it, and squeezed hard. The thief attempted to squeeze back, but Freya was physically stronger than he was. Pain shot through his hand, and he tried pulling away from her. “Yow! Lemme go!” He ordered, and she complied. As soon as his hand was free, she stepped past him, smirking, leaving him clutching at his hand. _Got you that time, monkey-boy._

Stepping inside the air cab that would take her to the Industrial District, the last thing she heard before the doors closed was Zidane’s disgruntled groan. Her smirk widened.

* * *

Her claws scratching the roof tiles, she leaped to the next rooftop. Most Burmecians didn’t wear boots, especially Dragon Knights. The extra grip from her claws helped keep her balance in the most uneven terrain. Though a mountain path differed enormously from a Lindblum shop’s roof, digging her feet into the cracks between tiles prevented her from slipping from the roof. Though a fall from height wouldn’t usually faze her, travelling via rooftops was her preferred method of movement in the Festival of the Hunt. Better views, and avoiding detection from the beasts that roamed the street, her only concern were the trick birds. Her lance gave her a far superior reach to a bird’s beak, so she was racking up points rather quickly. “Freya leads with 148 points!” An announcer’s voice rang through the streets. Zidane was likely not too pleased.

The win was most likely hers, unless one of the other hunters located the zaghnol before she did. They released it in the Business District, so why couldn’t she find it? How could such a large beast be so evasive? She raised her hat, wiping at her forehead with her sleeve. The Festival of the Hunt was always a rapid event, but the insulative armour was necessary, so she bit the bullet. By her estimate, there were 3 minutes left in the competition.

A shrill cry came from nearby. “Zidane!” It was high pitched, so it was most likely from a child. Some poor kid who hadn’t got home in time. Freya placed her hat upon her head, and jogged to the other side of the rooftop, getting a sight of the Business District’s courtyard. The blonde thief was trying to intimidate the prized beast. “Hey, big boy! Turn around!” The creature did as he commanded, goaded on by his loud, obnoxious voice. “Damn, you’re ugly!”

She’d be damned if Zidane was to take the prize from her. She wasn’t going to let the children be killed by this abhorrent creature, she told herself. Leaping from the roof she was perched on, she landed on another building, directly above the raghnol, and announced her presence. “Allow me to help.” As Zidane glanced up at her voice, she took a final leap, and landed beside him.

“Okay, but I get to finish him! I’ve got a date with Dagger on the line!” Of course he did. Why was she surprised? Though his stubbornness struck a chord within her. She remembered the thrill of young love, how Fratley vowed to earn her favour. _Damn it. Why am I doing this for him?_

She scoffed in disdain. “You’re ridiculous. Fine. As you wish.” She swept her lance with ease, brandishing her weapon with the finesse only a Dragon Knight could achieve. Rather aggressively, Zidane brandished his daggers and dashed forwards, scratching the beast’s eye. Though she silently gave him credit for such a bold move, she’d soon chastise him.

Instead of blinding the beast as he thought he would, he only angered the zaghnol more. Its roar could probably be heard from Alexandria, and the bolts of lightning dispelled from its horns seemingly unnerved Zidane. “Oops.” He mumbled quietly. Freya tutted, and leapt to the rooftops once more. “Hey! Don’t leave me down here!” He shouted angrily, keeping his eyes on the mighty brute.

Freya ignored his plea, and kept her focus on scaling the largest shop in the district. This would be a risky tactic, but it would surely win her the festival. Scaling a chimney, she used her lance as a platform to vault further upwards, scrambling on the roof tiles to get a grip.

Zidane landed another successful swipe, further slicing into the zaghnol’s muzzle. The creature looked to have lost a good amount of blood, judging from how deep the cuts appeared. He smirked joyfully, imagining the date he’d have with the princess. He’d take her to the city’s finest restaurant, playing with a bag full of gil. He was going to be rich!

 

...Or so he thought, until the monster countered his strike with a blast of lightning emitted from its horns. Being distracted, he failed to sidestep the bolt in time. His body felt like it was going to burst, the electricity frazzled his hair. The force from the magic knocked him from his feet, making him vulnerable. His scream was bloodcurdling.

Freya’s ears curled back in shock, she hadn’t expected him to be hit. Making a mad dash to the edge of the roof, she glanced at the zaghnol. It had it’s horns curved downwards, ready to gore her friend. _Hold on, you idiot._ The knight took a deep breath, and leapt from the roof, lance pointed downwards, hands gripping the butt of the polearm. Her fall was silent, but the impact struck hard. A satisfying sound of metal splitting flesh could be heard, as the entire tip of her lance found itself embedded in the beast’s neck. The crowd surrounding the archways of the district erupted in victory.

As Freya tugged her lance from the creature’s neck, she noticed that it was still breathing. It had survived. Though she didn’t care. Casting aside her weapon, she ran to her friend’s side. _You aren’t dying here, fool._ Reaching into her coat, she tugged the most accessible bottle she could find, and scooped the blonde up, propping his torso up with her arm around his back. Fumbling with the elixir’s cap, she tugged it off, and poured the precious concoction over his body.

Zidane’s eyes opened, and he glanced towards his saviour. “Is it dead? Who won?”

She pulled him upright, and shoved a dagger in his hand. “You want that date? Finish the job, and hurry up. You only have about 20 seconds.” She growled, though she wasn’t angry at him. His eyes widened.

Stepping up to the once great beast’s head, he plunged his knife down into it, and yanked it out. The zaghnol had fallen.

Zidane was the Master Hunter, and Freya’s streak had been broken. The crowd erupted once more, but the children they protected were nowhere to be seen. They probably ran away. Smart move. The gates quarantining the district opened, and the citizens of Lindblum crowded around Zidane. Freya let out a breath of air, and retrieved her lance. There was no reason to stick around now that the competition had ended. She’d say her goodbyes to the Master Hunter, and leave for Burmecia.

* * *

 

On the path to the castle, Freya had slung her lance over her shoulder, marching away from Lindblum Castle’s throne room. She sighed. What a waste of a day. Though at least she’d been there to save her friend. He would have surely been killed by that abomination if he were unaccompanied. _I didn’t need to let him win. All I had to do was give him an elixir, and finish it off. Why couldn’t I?_

“Freya!” She heard his voice from behind her. He caught up quickly. “Why’d you help me? You could’ve beaten the zaghnol and got the prize, and Dagger would’ve healed me up.” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. The once charming rogue had abandoned his cocky nature, for the time being.

She took a moment to consider it. “Despite what you probably think, I _do_ have a heart. Even if you are an insufferable little twerp, I don’t like seeing you hurt.” She looked away. The emotional words were hard for her to express to one such as Zidane.

Her revelation shocked even him, it seemed. “But that doesn’t answer the question. Why’d you let me win?”

“I agreed to let you score the final blow, didn’t I?” She snapped back.

“I guess.” He kicked at the loose stones that adorned the path. “Thanks, Freya.” Before she could react, he closed the distance between the two of them, and pulled her into a brief hug. She squeezed his shoulder with her free arm, taking care not to jab at him with the butt of her lance.

Pulling away, she whispered to him. “You’re welcome.”

Clearing his throat in reaction to the awkward affection, he spoke up. “Wanna come with us to Burmecia?”

She looked him in the eye, giving him a cold glance. “I was going there anyway. How’d you know?”

His stare turned hard. “I didn’t. But if you didn’t leave so early, you’d have seen the Burmecian soldier requesting reinforcements. Burmecia’s under attack. So your lover boy might have gone back.”

Her face flushed. “He’s-” She collected herself. “Very well. I’ll join you. Lead on.”

He never understood the strange woman, but sometimes he didn’t care. He was glad to have her by his side.

  
  



	2. Old Faces

Burmecia’s relief efforts were coming along smoothly. The once proud architecture was mostly laid to ruins, the rain washed away much of the debris. It was a sorrowful sight. Though, the fresh-faced Queen Garnet’s support had been invaluable. Certain key buildings and businesses had been fully restored over the course of a year, courtesy of Alexandria’s engineers. 

Lindblum would have offered support, but Cid prioritised his own city first. Understandable. Brahne’s rampage had almost crippled Gaia’s technological powerhouse. The scars from her reign still showed, even a year after her death. Tantalus were also out of the question, as the troupe was currently back on tour with less kidnapping this time, hopefully.

Freya stared toward the bottom of her drink as long as she could, before the spindly waiter took the empty glass away. She nodded to him appreciatively, pulling herself back to reality. ‘The Dragon and Moon’ was awfully quiet that night. The floorboards were damp with spilled alcohol, and the barkeep looked like he had more problems than his customers. Though she couldn’t judge. She had plenty of problems herself.

As the waiter zipped past her again, she waved him over. “An ale, please. Put it on my tab.” He nodded, and headed back towards the bar. Freya leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she was interrupted by the sound of a chair screeching across the floorboards across from her. “Can I help you?” She spoke, not bothering to open her eyes. It was probably just some drunkard looking to flirt with her. While most of Burmecia’s male populace tended to avoid it, due to her status and known relationship with Sir Fratley, it didn’t stop some people from trying.

“Not even gonna open your eyes, rat?” A familiar, deep voice spoke to her.

“Amarant. You come all the way out here for me?” She lifted her head up, surprised. There he was, with his flaming red hair. Rather wisely, he brought a cloak. A black, knee-length coat with a hood. She noticed that he’d already bought a drink for himself.

He chuckled dryly. “‘Course not. You’re nothing special. Got a job.” He took a swig of his ale.

“You mean a bounty? Go and deal with it, then.” Her mood sullied. The ape-like human had just come to gloat. Combined with the alcohol, he easily agitated her.

He paused for a moment, to think. Freya noticed the raindrops in his hair. He probably never wore the hood anyway. “Nah. Wanted to get a drink first.” He took his time to survey the tavern. He looked unimpressed. “Besides, you rats look funny when you frown.”

The Burmecian clenched her fists, “If I’m just a joke to you, then I’d rather not be near you. Leave me alone.” She growled. Though in truth, it was mostly the alcohol talking.

He laughed heartily. “If only you’d grow a backbone when it comes to that boyfriend of yours. What’s his name? Forgetful?” His words goaded her.

Her short temper erupted. She growled, and threw her fist towards his face as hard as she could, trying to purge his smug grin. Being an experienced pugilist, he saw it coming a mile off. Amarant caught her fist, and bent her arm backwards over her chair. “You need to work on your punches, rat.” He remarked, condescendingly.

She seethed with anger. “Get off me, you brute!” She tried to jerk her arm away, but his grip was too strong.

“Take it outside, Freya!” The barkeep shouted over to them both, just as the waiter delivered her ale. Amarant released her arm, and she buried herself in her glass like a wounded animal.

“I was just sayin’, you should sort things out with him.” Amarant clearly knew it was a touchy subject.

She scoffed. “You don’t know the half of it. I don’t need a womanizer’s advice, thanks.” Her words were filled with venom.

He crossed his arms. “You mean Lani?” He paused for a moment, huffing. “She was my partner. Not any more.”

Freya took several gulps of her ale, and leaned over the table. “What happened?” She questioned.

“She took a hostage. I knew it was a mistake workin’ with her. Haven’t seen her since.” Beneath the mass of hair, his eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity. “We hadn’t met yet. How’d you know about her?”

“Zidane filled me in on what happened in Madain Sari. He mentioned that a woman was with you at the time.” She slumped into her chair. The boy never returned from the Iifa tree. Her damaged heart broke even further that day. First her lover, then one of her closest friends.

Amarant, sensing her sadness, took another swig of his drink and grumbled to himself. He leaned forwards, pressing his elbows into the table, forearms outstretched. “Still no word of him. Damn monkey, sacrificing himself for an excuse like Kuja.”

“He always had heart. Went out of his way to help people, just because he could. We can all learn a lesson from him. Even you.” She glared at him, from behind her long hair.

He snorted, amused. “Only thing he taught me was that groups can find success where one can't.”

She looked annoyed. “Zidane taught far more than that. He led a ragtag group to face the embodiment of death itself. He was a leader. He was…” Her voice lost its luster. She couldn't bring herself to describe him further. She didn't want to start crying in the middle of a pub, especially not in front of a man like Amarant Coral.

“If I didn't know any better, I’d say you loved him.” He gave her an accusatory glance.

It was her turn to snort. “Then you clearly don't understand friendship, do you? I've known him far longer than you. While I may not have always shown it, I cared about him, which is more than you can say.” taking a final gulp, she finished her third drink of the night.

“Speak for yourself. We were never friends.” He mumbled quietly.

Feeling the effects of the alcohol, she replied in a mocking tone. “Well, Reis forbid that you'd have a friend, you're the Flaming Amarant aren't you? A no-nonsense bounty hunter. No, it would be a ridiculous notion. If only you stopped acting like a conceited ass, maybe you'd have friends.”

His expression remained unchanged. “Friends are a burden. Doesn't matter how close you think you are, they just weigh you down in the long run.”

She raised an ear. “Speaking from experience?”

He folded his arms. “You’ll never know.” Finishing his drink, he adjusted his cloak and stood up. “I’m goin’. Got a bounty to hunt.” As he turned to leave, he stopped for a moment, like he remembered something. He turned back, and handed Freya a letter.

She was confused. “Are you a moogle now, Coral?”

He shook his head, but had a hint of a smirk on his face. “Letter from Dagger.” With that, he turned back and left the pub, and Freya to her thoughts.

The night advanced, and Freya had stopped drinking. Any more, and it would have cost her a fortune. She leaned over the table, head in her hands. She couldn’t get Fratley off of her mind. The hero had started to fall back in love with her. Or perhaps, he was only trying to for old time’s sakes. He wasn’t the same man she fell in love with all those years ago. It was like he was trying to fill out the role he once held, if only for her. It both flattered, and upset her. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she recalled the letter.

Upon opening it, she was greeted with the familiar smell of Alexandrian perfume. Like Garnet had imprinted the smell on the paper, as well as a ticket of sorts.

‘ **_Hello Freya,_ **

**_I hope this letter finds you well. I apologise for having Amarant hand it to you, but at least it gave him an excuse to come and see you. Under that gruff exterior, he cares in his own way. As you probably know, the Tantalus troupe will be holding their annual performance of ‘I Want to be Your Canary’ in Alexandria in a few days. Enclosed in this letter, is a ticket for you. It will be good to see you again._ **

**_Best wishes, Garnet’_ **

Her handwriting surpassed Freya’s, that much was apparent. She missed last year’s performance, and felt that it was only right to see it. Zidane would have wanted her to. She sighed, and stood up from her seat. Alexandria was quite the journey.

 


End file.
